Graveyard Basin
- 3.3 mi
- round trip
- 992 ft
- climb
- 7,162 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Sep
- best months
Is Graveyard Basin open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name Graveyard Basin, so check the source for the area it covers.
Elephant Fire Closure
Agency closure covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-26-01-04 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Road Closure for Construction Work (Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger Districts)
Agency alert covering Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District · Order 04-17-26-06-04 · USFS · Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District
Area, Road, and Trail Closures (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-25-04 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Year-Round Fire Restrictions (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-24-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Vehicle Snow Chain Requirements during Inclement Weather (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-23-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Graveyard Basin is a 3.3-mile out-and-back hike on natural trail in the Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in northeastern Nevada. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trip rises about 992 feet from a low of roughly 6,170 feet to a high of about 7,160 feet. The route is rated hard, and it is open to hikers and riders. That makes it a fair choice for a day spent on foot or on a bike. The climb is a single push to the basin's high point before returning the same way. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Jiggs put May highs around 68°F and September highs around 78°F, while July climbs to about 88°F. That station sits well below the basin, so temperatures up high run cooler. Other hikes start within a few miles. Overland Lake is about 2.8 miles away, Rock House about 3.3 miles, and Tipton about 4.6 miles. Castle Lake is about 7.6 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Jun, Sep
Best time to visit Graveyard Basin
Best months: May–June and September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
40° / 15°
5 wet · 3 snow
Feb
43° / 18°
4 wet · 2 snow
Mar
52° / 22°
5 wet · 2 snow
Apr
58° / 27°
6 wet · 2 snow
May
68° / 35°
6 wet · 1 snow
Jun
79° / 41°
4 wet
Jul
88° / 49°
2 wet
Aug
87° / 47°
2 wet
Sep
78° / 39°
3 wet
Oct
65° / 29°
3 wet
Nov
51° / 21°
3 wet · 1 snow
Dec
40° / 14°
4 wet · 3 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Jiggs 2ne, NV, 14.9 mi away at 5,642 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Castle Lake
~13 min drive
0.49-mile out-and-back trail to Castle Lake in Nevada with 265 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Kleckner Creek
~13 min drive
14.39-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 2,561 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail
~16 min drive
32.63-mile out-and-back hike in Nevada with 7,542 ft gain.
Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Green 1 Trail
~16 min drive
1.8-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 1,094 ft elevation gain
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Favre Lake
~14 min drive
2.84-mile out-and-back trail to Favre Lake in Nevada with 77 feet of elevation gain.
Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Hankins Creek
~16 min drive
2.20-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 741 ft gain.
HIKE
Overland Lake
~5 min drive
10.62-mile out-and-back trail to Overland Lake in Nevada with 2,556 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: simonov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Lamoille Stock
~17 min drive
3.28-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 933 ft elevation gain.
Photo: simonov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Longhair 3 Trail
~19 min drive
2.06-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 627 ft elevation gain and loss.
Photo: simonov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail
~17 min drive
65.29-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 2,708 ft gain.